Ten people accused of selling tobacco to minors in San Rafael, Ross Valley

Ten suspects were cited on suspicion of selling tobacco to minors in a sting operation at 48 businesses in central Marin, the sheriff's department said Monday.

The crackdown was conducted Jan. 3 and 4, when the sheriff's department used a volunteer teenage decoy to buy tobacco. The businesses were in Corte Madera, Greenbrae, Larkspur, San Anselmo and San Rafael, said sheriff's Lt. Jamie Scardina.

The alleged violators were identified as Tyler Carlston, 22, of San Anselmo; Carlos Gonzalez, 54, of Petaluma; Malkeet Grewal, 35, of San Rafael; Dong Homer, 63 of San Rafael; Robert Howell, 63, of Corte Madera; Debra Kinney, 57 of Cotati; Awadhesh Kumar, 32, of Union City; Elise Service, 49, of San Rafael; Irving Terada, 64, of Novato; Melissa Williams, 23, of San Rafael.